Combining ethernet and wifi networks

[absentidei]

I'd like to know if there is some easy-ish way to combine wifi and ethernet in a network.
Since a picture says a thousand words, here's what I want to achieve:

I use the desktop computer as a file and media server using windows home group.
I have the laptop running windows 7 connected to the TV.
So far I've been using just wifi, but when I try to stream movies from my desktop to the laptop I get freezes and glitches.
I can't connect both my desktop and laptop wired to the ADSL router, since it's behind a wall I'm not allowed to drill trough.
I have a spare network switch and cables, so I was thinking I could connect the ethernet adapters on the desktop and laptop together trough the switch, I'm just not sure how to configure the computers.


Does anyone have any sugestions?

 

[Emerald]

assign static IP to the two computer like 192.168.50.xxx and network mask of 255.255.255.0

Do NOT assign a Gateway and DNS server IP

 

[absentidei]

I tried that, and it seems to work on my desktop, but my laptop keeps turning my wireless network adapter off.

I set the routers DHCP to only give out adresses from 10.0.0.10 to 1.0.0.255
Then I gave my desktops ethernet adapter the static IP 10.0.0.2, and the laptops ethernet adapter 10.0.0.3 (The router is 10.0.0.1)

I don't understand why my laptop keeps turning off my wireless card.
I go to "network and sharing center", then "change adapter setings" and right click the wirless adapter and choose "diagnose".
Then it says that it's turned off, and turns it on. After a few seconds it's turned off again.
And I need both the wired and wireless connections to work, since I need to reach the internet from the laptop as well.

Might bridging the two network interfaces on my desktop be an idea?
I'm not 100% sure how network bridging works, but wouldn't that effectively connect the switch to my wifi?

 

[bill001g]

It may be a bios setting. Some laptops also install network selection managers that are not part of windows. This is not a standard windows thing you need to look for software option in vendor software. Maybe if you posted the model of pc it maybe someone that knows would see the post.